


hearth

by life_unsolved



Category: L.A. By Night, Vampire: The Masquerade, Vampire: The Masquerade- L.A. By Night (Web Series)
Genre: F/M, Fireworks fic, Fluff, LA by Night Fic Exchange
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-05
Updated: 2019-07-05
Packaged: 2020-06-09 19:11:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,095
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19482202
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/life_unsolved/pseuds/life_unsolved
Summary: “Jasper! It’s today!” She pulled on her shirt a little harder, and the sound of fabric tearing was barely masked by an annoyed, “Fuck.”  He couldn’t decide if he wanted to laugh or sigh.He was hoping she’d forgotten this particular promise. There was really no way he could say no to her when she turned the puppy dog eyes on him.Prompt: The coterie go watch fireworks for the 4th of July





	hearth

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Falt](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Falt/gifts).



> This is my gift to Falt for the LA by Night Fan Art/Fic exchange. I hope you like it, thank you for the excellent prompt! (As usual, no beta's we die like fools. Feel free to leave advice in the comments. No music for this one, I wrote it to the sounds of fireworks.)

Predictably, Annabelle woke up first. She blinked up at the ceiling, trying to gauge her surroundings. Plain white walls with band posters, Ikea furniture that still had that sawdust smell, clothes all over the floor. She’s not used to this.

Her room, Victor’s place. She winced at the mess around her, _I really should clean this place up._ She rubbed an eye out of habit, blindly reaching for her phone, still not used to suddenly being completely aware upon waking. She checked her phone, responding to missed messages, phone calls, emails. She’s texting Ramona a quick, “Good morning! <3” when her alarm goes off. 

From his room, Jasper could hear her scream. He was moving before he could help himself, poking his head out into the hallway. “Annabelle? Are you alri-”

Her door bursted open. She has a pair of jeans unzipped and unbuttoned falling around her hips. Her arm is half in a t-shirt and through one jacket sleeve as she tries desperately to pull her head through, hopping on one foot to keep her pants up.

“Jasper! It’s today!” She pulled on her shirt a little harder, and the sound of fabric tearing was barely masked by an annoyed, “Fuck.” One of her eyes peeked through the top of the shirt, now halfway down and stuck around her head. He couldn’t decide if he wanted to laugh or sigh.

He was hoping she’d forgotten this particular promise. There was really no way he could say no to her when she turned the puppy dog eyes on him, especially since Daddy Warbucks and the Seed of Chucky already agreed. 

“Are you going to wear that? Not that it doesn’t look good,” she assured quickly as she began to pull her shirt off. She walked back into her room, not bothering to close the door. He could hear the soft sounds of clothing hitting the floor as she paused to change. He really needed to talk to her about cleaning her room. He walked over into his room, exchanging his hoodie for a thin, black shirt with a hood. He cuffed the sleeves before tucking his wallet into his pants pocket and checking that his shoes were tied.

He walked back out into the hallway, locking his door behind him. He leaned against the wall outside her door, sending a quick message to Eva. She came back out fully dressed in a gray, “Resist” t-shirt, pulling her jacket on. “I just mean, like, it’s the fourth of July. It’s a good excuse to expand your range.” 

He twitched an eyebrow at her, “My range is just fine, thank you. What did I tell you about spending time alone with Nelli?” Annabelle rolled her eyes, and they went out the door that led into the walls of the Maharani. The flights of stairs in the secret passage were a little less steep than normal stairs, weaving around areas in the club with an expert touch that could’ve only been a particularly talented architect. He held the door open for her as they made their way into what he dubbed “Lover’s Lane.” The Thorn floor was a disgusting show of opulence, though he hadn’t expected anything less from Thing One and Thing Two. 

“There you are. Bailey’s already pulling the car around.” Nelli stood in front of a large, gold mirror adjusting her earrings. He scoffed half-heartedly at the back of her head and she rolled her eyes at his reflection, smiling a little. He could hear Victor before he saw him, and-

“Oh my god, what are you wearing?” He and Nelli spoke in unison for the first time ever, and he pulled a face. She wrinkled her nose back at him, before turning on Victor. He was in a shitty American flag Hawaiian shirt and cargo shorts, giving them the biggest shit-eating grin. _Asshole._ Nelli made a disgusted noise, shaking her head. “Absolutely not. I set an outfit out on your bed. Go change.”

He could hear Annabelle laughing behind him, and he turned in time to see her snapping a picture before shoving her phone back in her pocket. “There’s no time for him to change, we’re going to miss the fireworks!” Nelli arched a brow at her, and Annabelle tried to arch one back. It’s not nearly as impressive, but it’s hilarious even by his standards. He’s tempted to take a picture of them himself. Victor beats him to it, winking in his direction. His phone vibrates in his pants, and he’s speaking before he’s even opened it. 

“She’s right. Eva can only hold our spot for so long, the park’s already crowded.” Nelli leveled her glare at him, and he shot her a toothy grin before he started towards the elevator. 

“Ha! See? We have to go! No time to waste,” Annabelle insisted. He could hear Victor’s chuckle in the background, and privately Jasper laughed with him. 

The ride to Griffith Park was blessedly uneventful. Campbell dropped them off near the hill at the bottom of Observatory, the long line of cars making it imposssible to get close. Jasper allowed himself to become apart of the night, keeping a hand on Annabelle's shoulder as they made their way through the crowd. 

Los Angeles was dry and hot, and the only thing that distracted him from the oppresive heat was Annabelle’s unending chatter as she searched through the large black tote she brought with her. He wasn't listening, he'd been too busy looking for Eva from the moment they arrived, but he hummed at the appropriate times. Victor and Nelli walked hand-in-hand behind them, and he can’t imagine what Victor must have promised her for her to be seen within 10 feet of him. She didn’t seem to mind as much now, leaning into him when he wrapped his arm around her, giggling at something he’d whispered into her ear. He wanted to grimace, but they couldm’t see hnm so he settled for a scowl.

Annabelle was talking about a date she went on to the Griffith Zoo where she almost got caught having sex in one of the old exhibits. He was already planning the talk they’re going to have about appropriate places to have sex when he spotted Eva.

She was on a patch of empty grass, near the Observatory entrance. There are no humans in a roughly thirty-foot radius. He puts that on his list of things to learn, if she’s willing. She waved at Annabelle as the Brujah rushed up to her, yelling her name. He’s experienced enough to know when he’s been spotted. With her, it’s easy. The moment she taps into her supernatural vision, they lock eyes. Her smile warmed and softened, and as she gave Annabelle a hug, she waved at him. It’s not possible, but suddenly he felt warm. 

Annabelle started laying out a blanket, setting out sparklers and poppers. Apparently, they were both necessities. He wondered if she had the will to hold the burning sparklers as he approached the two of them, waving awkwardly. “Good evening, Eva,” he murmured, trying to keep his face in check.

Her smile brightened, and the warmth rushed through him again. “Good evening, Jasper. You look nice.” She reached out to touch his face, ghosting her fingers over his cheek. He offered her a small smile, reaching out to touch a flower in her hair. 

“These are new. Nice.”

She tucked some of her hair back, taking care not to dislodge any of the flowers. “Thank you. They’re Zinnia.” He repeated the word in his head a few times, studying the red petals more intensely. 

“Are you celebrating the holiday?”

She laughed a little, “Hardly.”

She touched his arm for a moment, before she moved to greet Victor and Nelli. Nelli simply smirked, looking between the two of them expectantly. He fought the urge to stick his tongue out at her and took a seat near Annabelle.

The park was beyond crowded. There were families crammed in shoulder to shoulder, and he idly wondered how he managed to make it through unscathed. The grass was long and verdant. He could feel some of the dense strands poking up at them through the blanket. 

Annabelle began to line the front of their blanket with the sparklers, setting them up neatly in a line. He had a cloudy memory of himself as a boy playing with toy soldiers cross his mind. “How long before the show starts?”

She reached into her back pocket, checking her phone. “Five minutes!” 

She turned towards the three kindred talking quietly, “Hey guys! Five minutes! Everybody get comfortable!” 

Victor took a seat on the far side of the blanket, huffing as he sat down. “You know we’re kindred, right? I don’t understand why we need the sparklers, it’s not like we can hold them.”

Annabelle shushed him, rummaging through her bag for something else.

Nelli settled in between Victor and Annabelle, leaning into his chest. “I’ll put you out if you put me out,” She muttered. Annabelle stopped to scowl at them.

“New rule. There is no negativity immediately before, during, or after the fireworks, understood?” 

Eva lowered herself gracefully on his other side, stopping to kick off her shoes and tuck her feet underneath herself. “Understood,” she nodded. 

Annabelle smiled, “Thank you, Eva. The rest of you better get in line.” 

Jasper raised his hands defensively, “I didn’t say anything.” He tried to put an innocent look on his face. 

She scrunched her face at him, “Yeah, but you were thinking it.” Eva laughed at them, and he turned to let the sound wash over him. 

Annabelle finally pulled out a reach lighter. He could hear Nelli hiss unhappily as he wrinkled his nose. “Belle-” 

“Sh! Shut up! It’s the rules!”

There was a loud boom, and then the missile-like screech of the first firework.

Annabelle squealed, rushing forward to light a few of the sparklers. They began to crackle and pop far enough from the blanket to be considered pretty, rather than dangerous. The next burst was accompanied by a crimson sky as the fireworks started in earnest. 

Annabelle settled between him and Nelli, pausing to shrug off her jacket and sit on it. She nudged him with her shoulder before leaning into the two older kindred to her left, all cuddled up. He watched as Nelli took a moment to run her hands through Annabelle’s hair before giving up on taming the mess. Annabelle set her head on Nelli’s shoulder and he could almost see Nelli’s defenses go down for the first time since he’s known her.

He has to admit she’s almost pretty this way.

He felt a hand cover his own and looked down to see Annabelle’s ring gleaming in the bright bursts of light. He hesitated a moment before he flipped his hand over, holding his breath. He could see the joy on her face even though she didn’t look at him. She squeezed his hand three times, before settling. He waited a moment for her to let him go, but she seemed content to just hold it for the moment.

There’s another loud burst before a series of fireworks begin rocketing into the sky. The reds, greens, and blues all seem to mix to create the perfect sense of beautiful chaos. On his other side, Eva pressed softly into him.

He leaned back, trying to give her room to see better, and she carefully leaned into his chest, waiting for something. He slowly wrapped his arm around her, giving her time to push him away. She seemed to sink deeper into him, and the fireworks were stronger now.

He watched the faces of the people around, mortals and their children all staring up into the celebration of something new. Something different. He could hear the soft hum of Victor’s voice, the man never shut up it was his worst (best?) quality, and he turned to him. He was watching the show intensely, happy enough to offer comments to Nelli every so often. She turned to meet his gaze, smirk returning in full force when she saw Eva under his arm.

He bared his teeth at her, and she stuck her tongue out at him. Victor whispered something in her ear, pausing only to brush a kiss against her temple. It was his turn to smirk. She flipped him off subtly, and he had to stifle his laughter.

“This is nice,” Annabelle sighed, eyes never leaving the twinkling lights.

He leaned back, tightening his hand around hers. “It is.”

**Author's Note:**

> I've never really written Jasper before, someone tell me if I did this right.


End file.
